Abstract:

Metabolic pathways are controlled primarily by protein degradation rates. Degradation rates, in turn, are controlled by changes in physiologic condition or nutrient supply. Vitamin B6 is associated with a greater variety of reactions than most other vitamins. Moreover, the vitamin B6 needs of the elderly tend to be higher than those of young adults. Neutrophils seem to be appropriate cells for assessing protein turnover as affected by macronutrients and micronutrients. Thus, we assumed that vitamin B6 supplementation, particularly in an elderly population, would change the turnover rates of the neutrophil proteins. Protein synthesis was measured after 30 minutes of 35S-Met incorporation followed by a 30-minute washout incubation; degradation was measured after an additional 5-hour incubation. Following protein separation, radioactive images of short-lived proteins were electronically separated into bands. Vitamin B6 supplementation significantly increased the synthesis of most neutrop

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